Sonos AMP volume issue

Using the new Sonos AMP plus a Sonos SUB in my Office, and when listening to Pandora the volume will suddenly drop for a few seconds...then return to the set volume. I was watching the Sonos app when this happened and oddly enough the volume slider did not budge. Sometimes issue won't happen for an hour...then all of the sudden it starts happening a bunch....then stops for a while. Waddayathink?

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Best answer by controlav12 January 2019, 17:13

Do you have any Alexa devices? Sounds like someone used an Alexa device elsewhere in the house, so the Sonos volume will be briefly reduced. This annoying feature is known as "ducking".

You were absolutely right controlAV… I meant to update my post. The Sonos Amp was indeed ducking as someone in the household was using Alexa somewhere . However we couldn’t figure out why it was ducking as it was not grouped with any Alexa devices... possibly a malfunction.

Also not sure why it even ducks as you don’t hear Alexa’s response. Would be cool if they could somehow port Alexa’s voice through the amp while ducking so you can hear her response. I assume that Sonos assumed your Alexa device is in the same room as your amp/speakers connected to your amp, and employed the ducking so you can hear your separate Alexa device’s response. So in that regard it’s cool.

Anyway I have successfully set it all up and ensured amps are properly grouped within the Alexa app to their associated Alexa devices. Control of the amp via Alexa works very well.

Side note, the new amp definitely seems to offer up more power and it feels like more bass/mid-bass... overall I think I enjoy its sound more than the CONNECT:AMP. Looking forward to employing the amp in a TV system to take advantage of it it’s HDMI ARC capabilities.

Spoke too soon, still get AMP ducking when an Alexa device is getting used in the household....even though the AMP and Alexa device are not grouped in the Alexa app. Wonder if this is an Alexa or Sonos software bug?

UPDATE: looks like the Sonos update about a month ago addressed the ducking issue:

"Volume lowering done smarter using Alexa Groups: We've been listening, and are happy to say that with Alexa Groups, saying "Alexa" to any device with a microphone will only lower the volume of speakers in the same Alexa Group. Every Echo device you have will need to be in an Alexa Group to take advantage of this fully. Echo devices not part of any Alexa Group will still make all Sonos players drop in volume."

So it would seem my problem is that I have not assigned every echo device to a group...even if that group has nothing else, like a Sonos speaker, in it. Giving it a shot.